    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book III)]
    [October 26, 2004]
    [Pages 2741-2748]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks in Cuba City, Wisconsin
    October 26, 2004

        The President. Thank you all for coming. I am honored you're here.
    Thanks for coming today. You know, Cuba City is known as the City of the
    Presidents. Kind of makes sense that a President stops in to say hello,
    doesn't it? A few months ago, I was the first sitting President to pass
    through Cuba City. Today I'm the first sitting President to stop in and
    give a speech. And I'm looking forward to signing my name to the shield
    of the 43d President.

    [[Page 2742]]

        As I'm traveling your beautiful State asking for the vote and I'm
    asking for your help, I'd like to encourage you to get your friends and
    neighbors to go to the polls. We have a duty in this democracy to vote.
    We have an obligation. When you get them headed to the polls, don't
    overlook discerning Democrats--[laughter]--people like Zell
    Miller, the Senator from Georgia who is strongly
    for my candidacy. Remind people if they want a safer America, a stronger
    America, and a better America, to put me and Dick Cheney back in office.
        Listen, I'm going to give you--I've been traveling Wisconsin a lot,
    giving people reasons to put me back into office. But perhaps the most
    important one of all is so that Laura is the
    First Lady for 4 more years. When I asked her to marry me, she said,
    ``Fine, just make me a promise.'' I said, ``What is it?'' She said,
    ``Promise me I'll never have to give a political speech.'' [Laughter] I
    said, ``Fine, you know, you've got a deal.'' Fortunately, she didn't
    hold me to the deal. [Laughter] She is giving a lot of speeches. And
    when she does, the American people see what I know, that she is
    compassionate; she is warm; she is a strong, great First Lady.
        I asked Tommy to take on a tough job in Washington, DC, and he's
    done a heck of a job. I'm proud of Tommy Thompson. My only problem with being around Tommy, all he wants to
    do is talk about Wisconsin football. And of course he did have to bring
    up the Packers-Cowboy game as well, played right there at Lambeau Field.
    [Laughter]
        I want to thank Steve Freese for his
    introduction. I appreciate his service to your community in the
    statehouse. I want to thank my friend Mark Green,
    Congressman Mark Green, who's traveling with us. Thanks for coming,
    Mark.
        I want to thank the mayor, Dick Davis.
    Thank you, Mr. Mayor, for being here. It's kind for you to come. I want
    to thank the members of the City of Presidents Committee--right there.
    Thank you all.
        I'm traveling with a fine man and his wife, Tim and Barbara Michels. He is
    going to make a great United States Senator. I appreciate him coming.
    And I want to thank my friend Dale Schultz, who will also make a great
    Congressman in the Third Congressional District.
        I want to thank Sam McGrew, the
    superintendent of schools. Appreciate you being here, Mr.
    Superintendent. I want to remind you, Mr. Superintendent, when it came
    time to pick a Secretary of Education, I picked a superintendent of
    schools. And the reason why I did is
    because I understand local control of schools is important, and I
    understand a superintendent of a school district understands education
    firsthand. And I appreciate your service.
        And I want to thank Tim Hazen, the principal
    of the Cuba City High School. Thank you, sir. [Applause] That's a good
    sign, when the students are cheering for you. [Laughter] I want to thank
    the--Danielle Wallenhorst, the student
    council president. Madam President, thank you for greeting me. Oh, there
    she is. Yes, there she is, good. Listen, I understand the football team
    has got a game tonight. I wish you all the best. Good luck to you. And
    as Tommy pointed out, the volleyball team
    here is really good too. I appreciate you being here.
        Listen, thanks for coming. We're coming down the stretch in this
    campaign. And there are different candidates running with different
    points of view. You know where I stand, and sometimes, you even know
    where my opponent stands. [Laughter]
        Now, we both have records. I'm running on mine. He's running from his, and there's a reason why. There is a
    mainstream in American politics. The fellow I'm running against sits on
    the far left bank. I'm a compassionate conservative and proudly so.
        I have a positive and optimistic vision for our future, a
    comprehensive strategy for victory in Iraq and for victory in the wider
    war against terror, a plan to make sure our economy continues to grow so
    that

    [[Page 2743]]

    hope spreads its wings in every corner of America. My opponent has no plan, no vision, just a long list of
    complaints. But a Monday morning quarterback has never led any team to
    victory.
        This election comes down to five clear choices for your families,
    for America's families: your family's security; your family budget; your
    quality of life; your retirement; and the bedrock values that makes this
    a great country.
        The first clear choice is the most important one because it concerns
    the security of your family. All progress on every other issue depends
    on the safety of our citizens. This will be the first Presidential
    election since September the 11th, 2001. Americans will go to the polls
    in a time of war and ongoing threats. The terrorists who killed
    thousands of innocent people are still dangerous, and they're
    determined. The outcome of this election will set the direction of the
    war on terror. The most solemn duty of the American President is to
    protect the American people. If America shows weakness or uncertainty in
    this decade, this world of ours will drift toward tragedy. That's not
    going to happen on my watch.
        Our strategy is clear. We've strengthened the protections of our
    homeland. We're reforming our intelligence capabilities. We're
    transforming our military. There will be no draft. The All-Volunteer
    Army will remain the All-Volunteer Army. We are relentless. We are
    determined. We're staying on the offensive. We're defeating the
    terrorists overseas so we do not have to face them here in our own
    country. And we're making progress. More than three-quarters of Al
    Qaida's key members and associates have been brought to justice, and the
    rest of them can be certain of this: We're on their trail.
        A President has to lead with consistency and strength. In war, your
    tactics change but never your principles. Americans have seen how I do
    my job. Even when you don't agree with me, you know what I believe,
    where I stand, and what I intend to do. On the good days and on the bad
    days, when the polls are up or the polls are down, I am determined to
    win this war on terror, and I will always support the men and women who
    wear our Nation's uniform.
        My opponent in this campaign has taken a
    different approach. It's fair to say that consistency has not been his
    strong point. [Laughter] Senator Kerry says we're better off with Saddam
    Hussein out of power, except when he declares
    that removing Saddam makes us less safe. In our second debate, he said
    he always believed that Saddam was a threat, except a few questions
    later when he said Saddam was not a threat. [Laughter] He says he was
    right when he voted to authorize the use of force against Saddam
    Hussein, but that I was wrong to use force against Saddam Hussein.
    [Laughter]
        Now he's saying he knew where bin
    Laden was in the fall of 2001 and that our
    military passed up a chance to get him at Tora Bora. Let me talk about
    that for a minute. That's unjustified criticism of our military
    commanders in the field. This is the worst kind of Monday morning
    quarterbacking. In fact, our commander in Afghanistan, General Tommy
    Franks, recently wrote this about Tora Bora:
    ``The Senator's understanding of events does not square with reality.''
    The general says that American Special Forces were actively involved in
    the search for the terrorists in Tora Bora, and the intelligence reports
    at the time placed bin Laden in any of several countries.
        Before Senator Kerry got into political
    difficulty and revised his views, he saw our actions in Tora Bora
    differently. In the fall of 2001, on national TV, he said this about
    Tora Bora: ``I think we have been doing this pretty effectively, and we
    should continue to do it that way.'' At the time, the Senator said this
    about Tora Bora: ``I think we've been smart. I think the administration
    leadership has done it well, and we are on the right track.'' All I can
    say to

    [[Page 2744]]

    that is, I am George W. Bush, and I approve of that message. [Laughter]
        Audience members. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
        The President. I want to thank those who wear the Nation's uniform
    that have joined us today. I appreciate your service. I want to thank
    the veterans who are here, who have set such a great example for those
    who wear the uniform. And I want to thank the military families who are
    with us today as well.
        And I made a pledge to our troops and their families that they would
    have all they need to do their jobs and to complete their missions.
    That's why I went to the United States Congress and proposed $87 billion
    of supplemental funding to support our troops in harm's way. It was
    necessary funding. It was really important and so important that we got
    great bipartisan support for the vote--on the vote to fund the money. As
    a matter of fact, it was so strong that only 12 Members of the United
    States Senate voted against it. As you're out rounding up the vote, I
    want you to remind the people of this important part of the State of
    this startling statistic: 4 Members of the United States Senate, 4 out
    of 100, voted to authorize the use of force and then voted against
    supporting our troops in harm's way--only 4, 2 of whom are my
    opponent and his runningmate.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. They asked him, they said,
    ``Well, how could you have made that vote?'' And he said perhaps the
    most famous quote of the 2004 campaign--[laughter]--``I actually did
    vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.'' [Laughter] Now,
    look, I didn't spend any time in the coffee shops around Cuba City, but
    I suspect you're not going to find many people who talk that way here.
    [Laughter]
        He's given several explanations--you can't
    be calibrating the polls when it comes time to be supporting our troops.
    They said, well, when did he start changing his mind? Well, he started
    changing his mind about his position when it looked like he was losing
    to Howard Dean in the Democrat primary, right
    about the time this vote came up. See, earlier on TV, prior to the vote,
    he said it would be irresponsible not to support our troops in combat.
    And sure enough, he took a look at the polls and decided not to support
    our troops in combat. A President must be consistent. A President must
    be willing to stand for what he believes.
        In the last 20 years, in key moments of challenge--now remember, my
    opponent opposed President Ronald Reagan's
    doctrine of peace through strength. He didn't support removing Saddam
    Hussein from Kuwait, even though the
    international community united in concert. In moments of challenge and
    decision, he has chosen the path of weakness and inaction. Now, look,
    his record not only stands in opposition to me but in opposition to the
    great tradition of the Democrat Party of America. The party of Franklin
    Roosevelt and Harry Truman and John Kennedy is rightly remembered for
    confidence and resolve in times of crisis. Senator Kerry has turned his
    back on ``pay any price'' and ``bear any burden,'' and he has replaced
    those commitments with ``wait and see'' and ``cut and run.''
        Many Democrats in this country do not recognize their party anymore.
    Today I want to speak to every one of them: If you believe that America
    should lead with strength and purpose and confidence in our ideals, I'd
    be honored to have your support, and I'm asking for your vote.
        We have big differences--we have differences in this campaign about
    how to keep you secure, and the differences are clear. Senator
    Kerry says that September the 11th did not
    change him much at all. Those are his words. And the policies make it
    clear. He said that the war on terror is primarily a law enforcement and
    intelligence gathering operation. Well, I want to tell you something. My
    outlook changed on September the 11th. I understand the stakes. I
    understand the consequences of

    [[Page 2745]]

    inaction. I understand the consequence of sending mixed signals.
        I remember standing in the ruins of the Twin Towers on September the
    14th, 2001. It's a day I will never forget. I will never forget the
    sights and the sounds. I will never forget the hardhats yelling at me at
    the top of their lungs, ``Whatever it takes.'' I remember the guy
    looking at me straight in the eye, and he said, ``Do not let me down.''
    Ever since that day, I wake up every morning trying to figure out how to
    better protect our country. I will never relent in defending our
    security, whatever it takes.
        The second clear choice involves your budget. When I ran for
    President 4 years ago, I pledged to lower taxes for American families,
    and I kept my word. And remember what we have been through as an
    economy. Six months prior to my arrival, the stock market was in serious
    decline. And then we had a recession and corporate scandals and the
    attack on America, which cost us about a million jobs in the 3 months
    after September the 11th.
        But we acted. I led the Congress to reduce your taxes, and our
    economic policies have led us back to growth. Think about these
    statistics and remind your friends and neighbors about these statistics.
    We've created 1.9 million jobs in the last 13 months. Farm incomes are
    up all across America. The farmers are making a good living.
    Homeownership rate is at an alltime high. The entrepreneurial spirit is
    strong in America. Small businesses are flourishing. The national
    unemployment rate is 5.4 percent. Let me put that in perspective for
    you: That's lower than the average rate of the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
    The unemployment rate in Wisconsin is 5 percent.
        And one of the reasons Wisconsin is doing so well is because your
    small businesses are flourishing and because the farmers are making a
    living. In 4 years, we'll--the next 4 years, we'll continue to help our
    dairy farmers. I support the MILC program to help the dairy farmers here
    in Wisconsin. We will make sure--we'll continue to open up markets for
    Wisconsin's farmers. I understand a good farm economy is necessary for a
    good national economy.
        Look, we have a different point of view when it comes to taxes. My
    opponent has a different economic plan. It
    starts with the fact that he said he's going to raise taxes. And that's
    a promise most politicians keep. [Laughter] He's promised to spend $2.2
    trillion in new money--spending. That's trillion with a ``T.'' That's a
    lot even for a Senator from Massachusetts. [Laughter] And they asked
    him, ``How you going to pay for all that new spending?'' And he said,
    ``Oh, we're just going to tax the rich.'' You've heard that before,
    haven't you? See, there's a difference between what he's promised and
    how much he can raise. He's promised 2.2 trillion, but by running up the
    top two brackets, he only raises about 600 to 800 billion dollars.
    There's a gap. Guess who usually fills the gap? The good news is, we're
    not going to let him tax you because we're going to carry Wisconsin and
    win a great victory on November the 2d.
        A third issue about the quality of our families and the life of our
    families is education and health care. When I ran for President 4 years
    ago, I promised to end the soft bigotry of low expectations in our
    schools. And I kept my word. The No Child Left Behind Act is a good,
    solid piece of legislation. It says in return for extra Federal money,
    schools must measure to show us whether or not our children are learning
    to read and write and add and subtract. You can't solve a problem until
    you diagnose the problem. And so by measuring early, we're correcting
    problems before they become too acute, before it is too late. And an
    achievement gap in America is closing all over America. People are
    learning to read and write and add and subtract, and we're not going to
    go back to the old days of mediocrity and low expectations in our
    schoolhouses.

    [[Page 2746]]

        And I've got a commonsense way to help on health care. Most of the
    uninsured work for small businesses. Small businesses ought to be
    allowed to pool together to extend risk so they can buy insurance at the
    same discounts big companies get to do. I believe we ought to expand
    health savings accounts, low-premium, high-deductible, tax-free policies
    that enable people to manage and control their own health care. I know
    we're going to help the poor and the needy through community health
    centers and rural health centers. We're going to help sign up people for
    our low-income children's programs.
        But also to make sure health care is available and affordable to
    you, we've got to do something about these junk lawsuits that are
    running good doctors out of practice and running up the cost of
    medicine. I've met too many ob-gyns around our country that are quitting
    the practice of medicine because these lawsuits are running their
    premiums up too high on their insurance policy. They just can't
    practice. I met too many women who are wondering whether or not they're
    going to get the quality health care for themselves and their baby
    because ob-gyns are being run out of practice. This isn't right for
    America. You cannot be pro-doctor and pro-patient and pro-plaintiff-
    attorney at the same time. You've got to make a choice. My
    opponent made his choice, and he put a
    personal-injury trial lawyer on the ticket.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. I have made my choice. I'm standing with the doctors
    and the patients and the hospitals and the small-business owners. I am
    for medical liability reform--now.
        You know, in one of our debates, my opponent looked right in the camera and said his health care plan--
    about his health care plan, ``The Federal Government has nothing to do
    with it.'' You know, I could barely contain myself. [Laughter] See, I
    understand his plan. The Federal Government has got a lot to do with it.
    Eight out of ten people will be signed up on a Federal program. When you
    make it easier to get on Medicaid, small businesses will drop insurance
    for their employees because the Government will pay for it, and that
    will cause about 7 or 8 million people to get on Medicaid. And when the
    Government starts writing the checks, the Government starts writing the
    rules. And then when the Government starts writing the rules, the
    Government starts making decisions for you. They start rationing health
    care. They decide what doctor you can go see. To me, that is the wrong
    prescription for health care in America.
        Here's what I believe. I believe when it comes to health care, the
    decisions ought to be between patients and doctors, not by officials in
    Washington, DC.
        The fourth clear choice involves your retirement. Our Nation has
    made a solemn commitment to our seniors on Social Security and Medicare.
    When I ran for President 4 years ago, I promised to keep that commitment
    and improve Medicare by adding prescription drugs. I kept my word. And I
    want to thank Tommy Thompson for his help.
    You know, you've heard this issue debated for years. Matter of fact, it
    became such a political hot potato they called Medicare, ``Medi-scare.''
    But Tommy and I ignored all that, and we decided to do what was right
    for our seniors. Seniors are now getting discounts on medicines with
    drug discount cards. Low-income seniors are getting $600 this year to
    help them on their cards and $600 next year. And beginning in 2006, all
    seniors will be able to get prescription drug coverage under Medicare.
        Let me talk about Social Security. You all might remember the 2000
    campaign here in Wisconsin, the ads that said, ``If George W. gets
    elected, our seniors are not going to get their checks.'' That's the
    old-style scare tactics. When you're out there talking to your friends
    and neighbors, remind them, George W. did get elected, and our seniors
    got their checks. And our

    [[Page 2747]]

    seniors will continue to get their checks. And baby boomers like me,
    we're in pretty good shape when it comes to the Social Security trust.
        But we need to worry about our children and our grandchildren when
    it comes to Social Security. When the baby boomers retire, it's going to
    be hard for the next generation to support us and then have a retirement
    system for their own. That's why we need a President to think
    differently about Social Security. I think younger workers ought to be
    allowed to take some of their own money and set up a personal savings
    account, an account that earns better interest, an account they call
    their own, an account the Government cannot take away.
        You know, we have a difference of opinion on Social Security. My
    opponent said he's going to protect Social
    Security, but what he forgot to tell you is he's voted eight times for
    higher taxes on Social Security benefits. That's part of that record.
    See, that's just--see, he doesn't want you to know the record. He can
    run, but he cannot hide. That's what I say. He can run from it, but he
    can't hide from it.
        And then he said, when it comes to Social
    Security, things are okay for the next generation. I think the job of a
    President* is to confront problems, not to pass them on to future
    Presidents and future generations. You've got to expect from your
    President somebody who is willing to take on the tough issue, not have
    their finger stuck in the wind trying to figure out which way the winds
    are blowing but somebody who is going to do what is right. And what is
    right is to protect Social Security for our seniors and make it viable
    for the younger citizens of this country.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        *White House correction.
    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
        And finally, the final clear choice in this election is on the
    values that are crucial to keeping our families strong. And here my
    opponent and I are miles apart. I stand for
    the appointment of Federal judges who know the difference between
    personal opinion and the strict interpretation of the law. I believe
    marriage is a sacred commitment, a pillar of our civilization. I don't
    believe this is a partisan issue. As a matter of fact, when Congress
    passed the Defense of Marriage Act, defining marriage as the union
    between a man and a woman, the vast majority of Democrats supported it,
    and President Bill Clinton signed it into
    law. But Senator Kerry was part of an out-of-the-mainstream minority
    that voted against the Defense of Marriage Act.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. Listen, reasonable people can find common ground on
    the most difficult of issues. Republicans and Democrats came together
    and agreed we should ban the brutal practice of partial-birth abortion.
    I proudly signed that bill. But my opponent
    was part of an out-of-the-mainstream minority that voted against the
    ban.
        Audience members. Boo-o-o!
        The President. See, we just have a difference of opinion, a big
    difference of opinion. I'll continue to reach out to Americans of every
    belief and move this goodhearted Nation toward a culture of life.
        My opponent said the heart and soul of
    America can be found in Hollywood. [Laughter] Most American families
    don't look to Hollywood as a source of values. [Laughter] The heart and
    soul of America is found in communities like Cuba City, Wisconsin.
        You know, one of my favorite quotes that I hope tells you what I
    believe and how I lead is by a fellow Texan named Tom Lea, and here's what he said. He said, ``Sarah and I live on
    the east side of the mountain. It is the sunrise side, not the sunset
    side. It is the side to see the day that is coming, not to see the day
    that has gone.'' That's how I feel about this country, optimistic and
    hopeful. I know we can achieve anything we set our mind to. You know, in
    the last 4--nearly 4 years, we've come through a lot together. Because
    we've done the hard work of climbing the

    [[Page 2748]]

    mountain, we see the valley below. And that valley is a valley full of
    prosperity and hope, a valley where people in this country feel
    comfortable about owning something, a valley where the entrepreneurial
    spirit is strong, where our families are strong. We're going to continue
    to spread freedom and liberty so we can achieve the peace that we all
    want for generations to come.
        Four years ago, when I traveled your State asking for the vote, I
    made you this pledge: I said I would restore the integrity to the Oval
    Office. With your help and with your hard work, I will do so for 4 more
    years.
        Thanks for coming. God bless. I appreciate it. Now I'm going to sign
    this shield.

    Note: The President spoke at 2:43 p.m. at Cuba City High School. In his
    remarks, he referred to Wisconsin State Representative Stephen J.
    Freese; Mayor Richard Davis of Cuba City, WI; Samuel McGrew, district
    administrator, School District of Cuba City; former President Saddam
    Hussein of Iraq; Usama bin Laden, leader of the Al Qaida terrorist
    organization; and Gen. Tommy R. Franks, USA (Ret.), former combatant
    commander, U.S. Central Command.